Daily Archives: May 17, 2013

Subway Sketches

My last week in New York I ventured into the realm of Subway Sketching.  It’s intimidating, trying to be inconspicuous as you stare intently at people, but I finally decided What the Hey, the worst that can happen is they’ll say something nasty and get up and move away.  Shoes are pretty safe – people don’t move their feet as much as they fidget and toss their heads around, so this was a good starting point.

"Subway Shoes" by Kerry McFall

“Subway Shoes” by Kerry McFall

When I got tired of shoes and was feeling bolder, I moved on to a group of four ladies of a certain age who sat near me.  Just like Aunt Frimi’s knitting group, these Brooklyn Bargain-hunters all talked at once, loudly, and sometimes even about the same topics.  They were apparently en route to Macy’s.

"Subway to Macy's" by Kerry McFall

“Subway to Macy’s” by Kerry McFall

And finally I got brave enough to attempt a portrait of just one person, a woman who was reading the Bible and smiling to herself as her humongous earrings swung with every twist in the subway tunnel.

"Subway Earrings" by Kerry McFall

“Subway Earrings” by Kerry McFall

So now, just when I got it all figured out, here I am back in Corvallis, where there isn’t a subway to be had… Onward and upward.  There may not be any subway characters here, but there are plenty of farmer’s markets and rodeos and country fairs for sketching opportunities.  It’s going to be a fun summer!